FAQ Writer of the Month: masmith3200

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The RPG-adventure master returns to finish off the year and to offer thoughts on the Wii.

By IGN Staff

The unheralded heroes of the gaming world, FAQ writers trade their late nights for bragging rights simply to say that their walkthroughs, their secrets, their perfect paths through what seem like impossible missions work best. And what rewards do these slaves to countless pixels and polygons seek or receive? The knowledge that their sleepless nights detailing every last hidden item will go help gamers in desperate need of completing 100% of every game.

But here at IGN, we say enough with the gushy feelings and e-mail "thank you's" being all these tireless and sometimes tortured gaming souls receive. That's why we started the FAQ Writer of the Month. Every so often, IGN will pick the person we see as the best FAQ writer going and reward them with a game off of his or her wish list. But that's not all. We also feel that it's important for gamers to get to know these writers, the very ones that have helped them out of so many jams in the past. That's why every month we'll also sit down and talk to one of our most prolific contributors to get to know the person behind the FAQ/guide.

IGN revisits mega-RPG/adventure-man masmith3200 for his outstanding and timely work on Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess.

IGN: Thanks for taking time out again. Did you pick up a PS3 at all?

masmith3200: Not yet. I've got one older HD set - I don't feel like playing Resistance or anything else in 480p. Maybe in a couple years, when the price drops and some of these issues have been resolved.

IGN: Right on. You know the big question since the launches have occured -- what are your likes and dislikes of the Nintendo Wii?

masmith3200: Twilight Princess was a pretty great game -- not quite everything I was hoping for, but it was a lot of fun to go through a couple times.

The real hits for me have been Elebits, Trauma Center Second Opinion, and Wii Sports. (These are) games that met -- and far exceeded -- what I was expecting. And the new Virtual Console features have been pretty nice as well: Weather Channel, Opera Browser, Virtual Console (VC) games. It's off to a solid start.

Oh, and Madden's been incredible -- the one multi-console game I've seen where the Wii's unique control trumps the HD presentation of the 360/PS3 ports. Now (the Wii) just needs to solid online gaming, and a healthy flow of great titles. As decent a launch as it's had, my 360's gotten more playtime in the last month.

IGN: Have high hopes for Nintendo's 07 line-up?

masmith3200: Yep, and I like what I'm seeing for the 07 lineup in first-party titles.

IGN: So the control scheme for Wii lives up to your expectations?

masmith3200: The controls are getting there - still a work in progress, but a solid start nonetheless.

masmith3200: Yeah, I didn't really care for the article. From an objective standpoint, I think the Wii edges the Cube port. Everything else is a matter of preference, and the article felt a little slanted toward the Cube port. I mean, listing 480p as an advantage for the Cube being the ability to switch between stereo, mono, or surround in the in-game menu .... come on.

IGN: Well focusing just on the Legend of Zelda game itself, were any particular likes or hates?

masmith3200:Likes - Dungeon design was first-rate. Even the easiest, most linear of dungeons offered some new puzzles and solid art design, and Lakebed probably moved past Great Bay from Majora's Mask as my all-time personal favorite dungeon. Combat also worked out better than I was expecting - the Wiimote works great for aiming, and is functional enough for swordplay.

Dislikes - The story. The series needs to start making games where story comes first, with gameplay built around it, as opposed to shoehorning a story to fit a certain gameplay structure. Ganon and Zelda felt really, really forced into their respective roles, and really stole some thunder from some wonderful new characters in the game.

And it's long past time the series got some quality voice acting, instead of relying on archaic text bubbles.

IGN: What examples of voice acting did you like Mike? We're only cognizant of the non-lyrical squeals and grunts of Link, his fangirls, and other supporting characters.

masmith3200: I've hated the grunts for a while now. I loved Midna's VA - it really helped give some breadth to the character.

IGN: Ah, you mean the constructed language -- for a moment, we thought we missed something.

masmith3200: I'd probably prefer seeing English as the language used in future games for the main NPCs (like the Hylians, etc.) - but Midna's language worked well enough, kinda like the alien races in Knights of the Old Republic.

IGN: On a different track now -- how about your take on the Viva Pinata?

masmith3200: Love it so far. I was pretty skeptical from what I saw, and picked it up after hearing a lot of praise on the boards. Wonderful little game, with far more depth than I woud've guessed.

And trying to manage the garden once you've gotten up past Level 30 is enough of a challenge to keep the game interesting. And if it weren't for Gears of War and Rainbow Six Vegas, I'd probably be playing even more Viva Pinata than I have already.

IGN: Given the presence of Xbox Live, do you think something like that would compete well with the Nintendo Mii community?

masmith3200: I think it could, given time. From Viva Pinata's sales, it seems as though there isn't as large an audience for that type of game as you might find on a Wii or a DS. I'm looking forward to seeing some interactivity with Mii's in Wii online games.

IGN: Now, since Legend of Zelda has been out for a bit, what's some of the more memorable email you've received?

masmith3200: Do stupid questions count?

Most of my mail has been from people unable or unwilling to read through what I've written. But, there has been some positive feedback, and a few people who wrote to say thanks for the guides, along with a few requests for clarification.

masmith3200: Hahaha, I'm sure. But it is fun, especially when you can help somebody solve a problem that's had them stumped for a while.

Be sure to check out masmith3200's excellent Legend of Zelda FAQs and mini-guides on IGN via his Club IGN Page. It's spoiler heavy, but covers all the hard spots you think you missed.

Join the IGN Club! It's the only online club that lets you easily organise your submitted videogame FAQs/guides, Reader Reviews, Game Collections, wishlists, and Blogs so you can compare it with your friends and co-workers. It's a club that's unlike no where else online anywhere.

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